Listen, I get it. You’re sweeping the floors in your Clearwater home, you move a side table, and you see it: a little pile of what looks like sawdust, or maybe a few discarded insect wings on the windowsill. Your stomach drops. You start thinking about your mortgage, your equity, and the terrifying image of a giant striped tent draped over your house for three days.

First things first: Take a deep breath. Finding signs of termites isn’t a death sentence for your home, but it is a call to action. In Florida, it isn’t a matter of if you’ll deal with termites, it’s a matter of when.

If you think those “silent destroyers” are snacking on your studs, here is exactly what you need to do.

Before you grab the vacuum or a can of DIY spray, stop. I need to see what you’re seeing. There are two main culprits in our neck of the woods:

Drywood Termites: These guys live inside your wood. They kick out “frass”—tiny, sand-like pellets that are actually their droppings.

Subterranean Termites: These come from the ground. They build “mud tubes” (little dirt tunnels) up your foundation to stay moist while they travel to their buffet.

Pro Tip: If you find wings or pellets, don’t clean them up yet! Put a piece of tape over the area or snap a clear photo. Knowing exactly where they emerged helps me track them down much faster.

I see it all the time. A homeowner goes to the hardware store, buys a spray bottle, and douses the area. Here’s the problem: you might kill the ten termites you see, but you’re just signaling the other 100,000 to move three feet over to a different wall. You haven’t solved the problem; you’ve just made them harder for a professional to find.

This is where I usually come in. For years, the industry standard was “tenting”—pumping your house full of gas. It works, but it’s a massive headache. You have to move out, pack up your medicine and food, kill your plants, and leave your home vulnerable to burglars.

At Coby’s, I’m a big believer in tentless treatments. We use modern, localized technology to kill the colony right where it lives. It’s safer for your family, easier on your schedule, and just as effective when done by someone who knows Florida construction inside and out.

While you wait for an inspection, take a walk around your perimeter.

Is mulch piled up against your siding?

Do you have leaky gutters keeping the soil soggy near the foundation?

Is there scrap wood or firewood leaning against the house?

Eliminating these “termite highways” is the first step in making sure they don’t come back once we’ve cleared them out.

Our humidity is basically a spa day for termites. Between the Subterranean termites in our sandy soil and the Drywoods that fly in during swarming season, your home is constantly under pressure.

Coby’s Rule of Thumb: If you see something, say something. A $0 inspection is a lot cheaper than a $10,000 structural repair.

If you’re seeing wings, pellets, or “bubbling” paint that looks like water damage but feels crunchy—give me a call. We’ll get it sorted out without making you move out of your own house.

Stay vigilant, Clearwater!